


Will to Live

by SummerStormFlower



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Brotherly Love, Cole gets hurt, F/M, Fear, Friendship, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Love, Pain, Sibling Love, Zane doesn’t know how to deal with it, family love, maybe? - Freeform, serious conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24870631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerStormFlower/pseuds/SummerStormFlower
Summary: Zane is self-sacrificing. He thinks that as long as his family is safe, it doesn’t matter what happens to him.Zane gets a taste of what it’s like to be on the other side.
Relationships: Cole & Lloyd Garmadon & Kai & Nya & Jay Walker & Zane, Nya/Jay Walker, P.I.X.A.L./Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 70





	Will to Live

Another battle that had pushed them all to the brink of destruction. Another battle in which Zane was more than prepared to risk his life to save those he loved. 

And that’s just what he did. 

A sword was aimed for Kai, so Zane did the obviously logical thing and launched himself in front of Kai.

He ignored the others, crying out his name. It was either him or Kai, and it was going to be him.

Or at least that was what he thought. 

Time didn’t slow down, but Zane wished it had. If he’d seen all the details, maybe he could’ve stopped it from happening. 

Cole rushed in front of him.

The name on everybody’s lips changed.

Zane wasn’t quick enough.

Then there was blood.

____________________

Zane had never been so afraid in his life. He was never going to forget this; sitting in an uncomfortable chair, waiting for the doctor to give news about Cole’s condition. The only reason he wasn’t falling apart right this moment, was because Pixal was holding his hand.

The others around him were in no better shape. 

Kai had been pacing for hours, face set in a scowl.

Jay and Nya had fallen asleep against each other. Tear tracks were on Nya’s face and Jay had come close to crying as well.

Lloyd had his head in his knees, shoulders so stiff they looked like they were stuck. Master Wu had his hand on his nephew’s back. 

Cole’s dad was there too, fidgeting in his seat. 

They were all scared. None of them knew if Cole would make it or... or not.

Pixal squeezed Zane’s hand then. Zane looked at her. 

“May I say something selfish?” she whispered, so only Zane could hear her. 

Zane squeezed her hand back. “What?” he asked.

Pixal breathed in shakily, expression contorting in grief. She leaned her head on Zane’s shoulder. “I am glad it was not you this time,” she whispered.

Zane paused.

Not him... this time...?

Zane looked around him. Kai, Nya, Jay, Lloyd, even Master Wu. This was what loss looked like. What grief, fear and heartbreak looked like. This was it felt like. Like having a limb tore off your body. Your heart ripped open.

This... Zane had risked himself for his friends time and time again. And... He thought he was saving them.

But this was what they looked like after.

This was what Pixal looked like after.

Zane swallowed thickly, his heart clenching. This was how it felt. Excruciating pain. Pain he could even feel in his soul. 

Hours had passed when the doctor finally came.

Cole was okay.

____________________

When Zane was allowed to see Cole, he looked horrible. Bruised, battered and bandaged. Zane couldn’t look at his side, where the sword had pierced him.

“Hey,” Cole greeted him with a smile and more energy than he should have had. But then again, Cole was tough.

“Hello Cole,” Zane said back, sitting in the chair by his bed. It was just as uncomfortable as the chairs in the waiting room. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

Cole shrugged. “I’m a little sore, but I’m alright.”

Zane bit his cheek, his heart squeezing inside his chest. “Why did you do it?” he asked quietly. 

Cole frowned. “Do what?”

Zane gulped. “Why did you run in front of me?”

Cole stared at him in disbelief. “The same reason you ran in front of Kai.”

Love. Stupid, protective love.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

Cole barked a sarcastic laugh. “I shouldn’t have done that? You’re telling me that?” Cole shook his head. “Zane, you are the biggest self-sacrificing idiot I know!”

Zane recoiled, offended. “I am not an idiot. It is my duty to protect—“

“So is mine!” Cole shouted, and he very rarely shouted. “It’s all of ours! Not just yours, Zane!”

Zane found that he couldn’t say anything. 

Cole sighed, long and hard, rubbing at his head. When he spoke, he was much calmer and as quiet as he normally was. “Our duty isn’t easy,” he said, “Not on us. Not on those who care about us.”

Zane thought about Pixal. It was true.

“This isn’t the last time one of us might die either. And it’s not always going to be you.” 

Hurt seeped into Cole’s face as he said that, and Zane wondered what kind of memories he carried inside him. 

“But we’re all stubborn. Too stubborn to die.” Cole smiled a little. “Or, in your case, stay dead,” he joked. Then his smile turned soft. “So you’ll just have to believe in our will to live.”

Believe... Zane thought about that for a moment. 

Then he looked at Cole again. “I am sorry.”

Cole blinked.

“It was... a horrible feeling, not knowing if you would survive or not. I am sorry that I have done that to you,” Zane said. He didn’t regret the times he had saved his friends, but he did feel genuine guilt for causing them pain.

Cole simply smiled. “It’s okay. I believed in your will to live.”

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, they’re ALL pretty self-sacrificing. Especially when it comes to each other. I think Zane is biggest on sacrifice though. I mean like... he’s almost died, like, three times?


End file.
